The UK Government has said it will launch a new Digital Veteran Card to make sure former service personnel can prove their veteran status as easily as possible, enabling smoother access to often essential support.

Making the announcement to coincide with Remembrance Day, the government said the digital card will be introduced next year, and available to veterans instantly after applying, while their paper card is processed and posted.

The government hopes that a digital version of the Veteran Card will speed up access to services for the 250,000 former service personnel across the country currently signed up to the paper version, ensuring they can prove their veteran status as easily as possible, as well as being more convenient for day to day use via a smartphone.

Specifically, the government said that the digital Veteran Card will help former forces approaching military charities to quickly prove their veteran status, speeding up access to support if they need it. 

This includes housing support through Op FORTITUDE, health services through the NHS, and will also help veterans confirm their service to the ‘Going forward into employment’ scheme, which helps them join the Civil Service, NHS or work in justice.

Science and technology secretary, Peter Kyle, said: “Our veterans have sacrificed so much for this country and we must make every effort to ensure veterans get the help and support they’re entitled to.

“That’s why we’re working with the Office for Veterans Affairs to speed up access to essential services, whether it’s housing or employment support by offering our heroes digital Veteran Cards which can be with them in a matter of minutes.

“This will cut the wait currently faced for physical copies, by offering a quick, convenient and straightforward route to get the support they deserve for serving our country.”

Digitising the Veteran Card builds on the work done by the previous government, which first introduced the initiative in January this year, and gave armed forces personnel the opportunity to verify their veteran status online for the first time, coming after a £300 million push to digitise Veterans UK services.

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The new plans are part of Labour’s push to digitise even more public services by integrating technology in an effort to streamline the work of government, making it more accessible, efficient, and beneficial to both working people and the economy at large.

Following the election in July, the new government quickly took steps to expand the remit of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, bringing together experts in data, digital and AI to drive changes needed to overhaul the British public’s experience of interacting with the government, with projects like the Digital Veteran Card marking what its hoped will be the first of many initiatives.